Ralph S. Tyler is a widely-respected attorney with a varied career spanning more than 35 years in private practice and government service. He is a partner in Venable’s Litigation and Government Divisions. Mr. Tyler’s practice focuses on state and federal regulatory issues and civil litigation, including appeals. He works closely with Venable’s Food and Drug group and divides his time between the firm’s Baltimore and Washington, DC offices.

Immediately prior to joining Venable, Mr. Tyler served as Chief Counsel of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In that capacity, Mr. Tyler had overall supervisory responsibility for the counsel’s office of approximately 90 attorneys and was responsible for the office’s advice and representation of the agency in counseling, litigation and enforcement matters across the product areas within the FDA’s jurisdiction. Prior to his federal service, Mr. Tyler held senior positions in Maryland state government. He served as state Insurance Commissioner, as Chief Legal Counsel to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, as Deputy Attorney General and as Chief of Litigation. Mr. Tyler also served as Baltimore City Solicitor. From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Tyler was a partner in the litigation department of Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P. (now Hogan Lovells) where he handled commercial and public law cases, arbitrations and devoted a substantial amount of time to pro bono cases.

Mr. Tyler is a long time board member of the CollegeBound Foundation and is currently chair of the board. Mr. Tyler served previously as a member of the Baltimore City School Board.

Significant Matters

• MedStar Health v. Maryland Health Care Commission, 376 Md. 1 (2003) (holding that open heart surgery chapter of the State Health Plan invalid)
• DTM Research, LLC v. AT&T Corp., 245 F.3d 327 (4th Cir. 2001) (fee simple ownership not an element of trade secret claim; denial of defendant's motion for summary judgment affirmed)
• Secretary, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services v. Henderson, 351 Md. 438 (1998) (affirming grant of habeas corpus relief)
• R.C. v. Nachman, 969 F.Supp. 682 (M.D.Ala. 1997), aff. 145 F.3d 363 (11th Cir. 1998) (denying state defendants' motion to modify consent decree in statewide child welfare case)
• State Roads Commission v. 370 Limited Partnership, 325 Md. 96 (1991) (holding, inter alia, that in condemnation proceeding, property owner was entitled to valuation as of date of trial because of State's failure to take title or to commence proceeding within a year of "time of taking")
• Baltimore City Department of Social Services v. Bouknight, 488 U.S. 1301 (1988) (Rehnquist C.J., Circuit Justice) (staying judgment in In Re Maurice M, 314 Md. 391 (1988))
• Baltimore City Department of Social Services v. Bouknight, 493 U.S. 549 (1990) (mother’s Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination not violated by juvenile court order to produce her previously abused child (reversing In Re Maurice M, 314 Md. 391 (1988))